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Angels Release Cody Laweryson

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The Angels announced they’ve released reliever Cody Laweryson. He had been designated for assignment earlier in the week when they finalized their one-year deal to bring back Yoán Moncada.

Los Angeles claimed Laweryson off waivers from the Twins early in the offseason. The 6’4″ righty made five appearances with Minnesota as a rookie. He allowed two runs (one earned) across 7 2/3 innings, striking out seven without issuing a walk. Laweryson also pitched well in Triple-A, turning in a 2.86 earned run average while striking out a quarter of opposing hitters. The former 14th-round pick has a solid 3.39 ERA with a 27% strikeout percentage over his minor league career.

Despite the strong production, Laweryson was dropped by a Twins team that has one of the worst bullpens in MLB. His 93.2 mph average fastball isn’t especially imposing. He doesn’t have a power breaking ball either, sitting 85-86 mph with a cutter while mixing in a low-80s changeup. He’ll celebrate his 28th birthday in May.

It’s not clear why the Angels released Laweryson rather than assigning him to Triple-A. Speculatively speaking, it’s possible there’s an undisclosed injury at play, as injured players cannot be outrighted. (He dealt with a forearm strain in the minors midseason but finished the year healthy and on Minnesota’s active roster.) If there is some kind of injury, they’d presumably look to re-sign him to a minor league deal. In any case, Laweryson is now a free agent who can explore other opportunities.

Angels Designate Kaleb Ort For Assignment

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The Angels announced that right-hander Kaleb Ort has been designated for assignment. That’s the corresponding move to open a spot for left-hander Brent Suter, who has now been officially signed to a one-year deal.

Ort, 34, has been riding the DFA carousel quite a bit this year. He was with the Astros last year but that club designated him for assignment in early January. He then went to the Yankees and Angels via waiver claims and has now been designated for assignment yet again.

That’s a reflection of a few facts. Ort is out of options. His major league track record isn’t amazing. However, he has big stuff, with a fastball that averages in the upper 90s. If he were to clear waivers, he would not have the right to elect free agency, since he doesn’t have a previous career outright and is shy of three years of service time. It seems several clubs are hoping to get Ort to the minors as non-roster depth but none have succeeded so far.

Despite the big arm, Ort hasn’t done too much to impress in the majors. He has thrown 122 1/3 innings, having allowed five earned runs per nine. His 23.7% strikeout rate is decent but he has also walked 10.5% of batters faced.

The Angels can take as long as five days before putting Ort back on the waiver wire but will probably do so sooner than that. The 60-day injured list opens up next week, which will give most clubs some extra roster spots and greater ability to make marginal moves such as waiver claims.

Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron, Imagn Images

Angels Sign Brent Suter

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February 6th: The Angels officially announced their signing of Suter today. It’s a $1.25MM deal, according to a report from The Associated Press.

February 5th: The Angels are closing in on a major league deal with free agent left-hander Brent Suter, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. The Diamond Sports Management client would be the fourth veteran bullpen signing of the offseason for the Halos.

The 36-year-old Suter is a throwback in many ways — a soft-tossing, rubber-armed lefty who relies more on command and soft contact while often pitching multiple innings per outing. Last year’s 87.3 mph was the second-highest average velocity he’s posted on his four-seamer in any of his 10 big league seasons. His 89.1 mph average sinker was a career-high.

Obviously, Suter isn’t going to blow any hitters away with power stuff. However, he’s walked only 6.1% of his career opponents (6.2% in 2025) and perennially posts some of the league’s lowest exit velocity and hard-hit rates. Suter can still pick up some punchouts, but last year’s 18.2% mark was four percentage points shy of average. He hasn’t posted a league-average strikeout rate since 2021 and has an overall 18.8% mark in the four seasons since.

That hasn’t stopped Suter from being a generally effective relief option. Last year’s 4.52 ERA was a career-worst mark but was in part inflated by an abnormally low 69% strand rate. Playing his home games at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park didn’t help, as the 1.42 HR/9 he’s averaged over the past two seasons with the Reds is substantially higher than the 1.07 mark he carried into the 2024 season. That was surely a worthwhile trade-off for the Cincinnati native, who reportedly turned down some better offers to pitch for his hometown club the past couple seasons, but a move to Angel Stadium should bode well for the southpaw in terms of getting his home run rate back down.

Over the past seasons, Suter ranks 12th among all relief pitchers in innings pitched. He’s had just two IL stints along the way — three weeks for an oblique strain in ’23 and six weeks for a teres major strain in ’24 — and has logged a collective 3.76 ERA in that time. He’s typically been more of a long man or middle reliever but does have three saves and 24 holds in his career. He worked more than one inning in 22 of his 48 appearances with the Reds in 2025, topping out at 3 2/3 innings for his longest appearance of the season.

Despite restructuring the final season of Anthony Rendon’s contract such that it’ll defer his remaining salary over a five-year period, it’s been a quiet offseason for the Angels. They’ve added four relievers — Suter, Jordan Romano, Drew Pomeranz, Kirby Yates — on low-cost, one-year contracts. Yates ($5MM), Pomeranz ($4MM) and Romano ($2MM) will earn a combined $11MM. Suter’s deal is even cheaper than those already affordable pacts. The team’s other moves include a buy-low trade of Rays outfielder Josh Lowe and re-signing Yoan Moncada for a year and $4MM.

That Lowe trade cost the Angels southpaw reliever Brock Burke. Signing Suter again gives the Angels a second lefty to pair with Pomeranz in a patchwork bullpen where the average reliever within is now about 33 and a half years old. Suter, Pomeranz, Yates and Romano will be joined by Robert Stephenson, Ryan Zeferjahn and out-of-options righty Chase Silseth. Recent waiver claim Kaleb Ort is out of options as well, so he’ll be in the Opening Day group unless he’s designated for assignment before that point; the Angels, notably, will need a 40-man move for Suter unless they wait until camp opens so they can move the aforementioned Rendon to the 60-day IL.

Yankees Claim Osvaldo Bido, Designate Braden Shewmake For Assignment

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The Yankees have claimed right-hander Osvaldo Bido off waivers from the Angels, according to announcements from both clubs. The Halos had designated him for assignment a week ago when they acquired left-hander Jayvien Sandridge from the Yankees. To open a 40-man spot for Bido today, the Yankees designated infielder Braden Shewmake for assignment.

Bido, 30, has been riding the DFA carousel all winter. He finished the 2025 season with the Athletics but has subsequently gone to Atlanta, Tampa, Miami, the Angels and now the Yankees via waiver claims. He has shown enough potential that teams like him but he had a rough season in 2025 and exhausted his final option. That has pushed him to fringe roster status and several clubs are seemingly hoping to get him through waivers and into the minors as non-roster depth.

The righty showed his potential with the A’s in 2024. Still playing in the Oakland Coliseum at that time, Bido gave the A’s 63 1/3 innings in a swing role, allowing 3.41 earned runs per nine. His 10% walk rate was a bit high but he struck out 24.3% of batters faced.

The A’s moved to Sutter Health Park last year, a minor league facility, as a temporary home on their way to Las Vegas. That proved to be a hitter-friendly venue, with negative impacts for Bido. He had only allowed three home runs in 2024 but saw the ball go over the fence 19 times in 2025, in a slightly larger sample size of 79 2/3 innings. He was optioned to the minors a few times and finished the year with a 5.87 ERA.

Bido does not have a previous career outright and is shy of three years of service. That means he would not have the right to elect free agency if he were eventually passed through waivers, which explains to constant cycle of waiver claims and DFAs.

The Yankees will probably go down that same road. They don’t have room for Bido in the rotation and their bullpen already projects to have Paul Blackburn and Ryan Yarbrough serving as long relievers. For now, Bido has a spot and could report to camp with a chance to earn a job, but it’s also possible the Yankees put him back out on waivers with the hope of him clearing. If that is indeed the plan, they will likely put him out there quickly. The 60-day injured list opens up next week, which will open up extra roster flexibility for most clubs.

Shewmake, 28, was claimed off waivers from the Royals exactly a year ago today. He spent 2025 in the Yankee system but never got called up, exhausting his final option season in the process. He’s considered a strong defender at multiple infield positions but hasn’t shown much with the bat. He has a .118/.127/.191 line in 71 major league plate appearances. Over the past four years, he has a Triple-A line of .241/.304/.386, which translates to a 78 wRC+.

Now that he’s in DFA limbo, he will have resolution within one week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Yanks could theoretically take five days to field interest. His interest should be minimal with his light bat and lack of options. Like Bido, he does not have a previous career outright and is shy of three years of service, meaning he would stick around as non-roster depth if he clears outright waivers. With the aforementioned 60-day IL situation, the Yanks could be motivated to put him on the wire sooner rather than later.

Photo courtesy of Darren Yamashita, Imagn Images

Angels Sign Jeimer Candelario To Minor League Deal

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The Angels have signed infielder Jeimer Candelario to a minor league deal, according to a report from Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Candelario’s deal comes with an invite to big league Spring Training.

Candelario, 32, will enter camp looking to find a roster spot ahead of what would be his 11th big league season. Signed by the Cubs out of the Dominican Republic as an amateur, he made his pro debut back in 2011 and made it to the majors for a five-game cup of coffee during Chicago’s World Series-winning 2016 campaign. He once again got into a smattering of games in an up-and-down bench role with the club in 2017 before being included alongside Isaac Paredes in a deadline trade with the Tigers where the Cubs landed catcher Alex Avila and Justin Wilson. After the deadline, he played in 27 games for Detroit down the stretch and hit an impressive .330/.406/.468 in 106 trips to the plate.

The switch-hitter would struggle at the dish over the next few years with the Tigers before breaking out during the abbreviated 2020 season. From 2020-21, Candelario slashed an excellent .278/.356/.458 with a wRC+ of 124, and led his league with 42 doubles in the latter season. Some across the board regression led to a tough 2022 campaign that saw the Tigers non-tender him, but he rebounded well in 2023 with a strong season (118 wRC+, 3.2 fWAR) for the Nationals and Cubs in order to return to free agency with a solid chance at landing a multi-year deal.

That deal eventually came with the Reds, who signed him to a three-year, $45MM contract that was set to run from 2024 through 2026. His first year in Cincinnati was a disappointing one, as he hit just .225/.279/.429 with a wRC+ of 89 in 112 games to go along with atrocious defensive numbers at third base. That down season came while he battled knee tendinitis and a fractured toe. Even with those injuries casting uncertainty over his performance, Candelario’s defensive struggles were still enough to lose him the third base job with the Reds entering 2025. He played just 22 games for the Reds last year (and posted an ugly 10 wRC+ in those 91 plate appearances) before being sidelined with a lumbar spine issue. When his rehab window for that injury ended in late June, the Reds opted to release him rather than give him another shot on their roster.

He eventually signed with the Yankees on a minor league deal to finish out last season, and wound up hitting just .203/.289/.357 at Triple-A without getting a call-up to the majors. As he returned to free agency this offseason, he represented an interesting flier a team could take at relatively low risk. Given that Candelario will earn his $13MM salary with Cincinnati this year even after being released, he’ll only cost a club that puts him on the active roster the prorated league minimum, which will come out of what the Reds have to pay him for this year.

The team that decided to take that flier on Candelario is the Angels, who currently figure to enter camp with Yoan Moncada, Vaughn Grissom, and Oswald Peraza in the mix for reps at third base with Nolan Schanuel locked in at first base and some combination of Mike Trout and Jorge Soler expected to handle DH. That seemingly leaves little room for Candelario to make the roster, but it’s certainly possible he could find his way into the mix at one of those positions with a strong performance in camp or an injury or two clearing the way for him to snag a roster spot.

MLB To Take Over Broadcasts For Six Additional Teams

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4:37pm: Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal reports that the Tigers, Angels and Braves are all moving on from Main Street Sports as well. Friend writes that it’s likely that the Detroit and Los Angeles clubs will also turn their broadcasts over to MLB, although they haven’t closed the door on working out some kind of independent streaming deal on a different platform than MLB.tv.

Friend’s reporting is most interesting regarding the Braves. He writes that the team could launch its own network rather than turning distribution to the league. The Rangers went that route when their deal with Diamond collapsed last offseason. The Texas franchise created its own network that negotiated directly with distributors to set up cable, satellite and streaming deals on different platforms.

The Braves haven’t made anything official, though they’ve more or less confirmed they won’t be returning to Main Street. “The Atlanta Braves are aware of the reports regarding Main Street Sports Group,” the team said in a statement. “While disappointed with this development, we have been actively preparing for this outcome and are well on our way towards launching a new era in Braves broadcasting. … We look forward to sharing our path forward in the coming weeks.”

1:10pm: Major League Baseball will take over the broadcasts of six new teams in 2026, reports John Ourand of Puck. The six clubs are the Brewers, Marlins, Rays, Royals, Cardinals and Reds. That represents six of the nine clubs who terminated deals with Main Street Sports last month. That leaves the Braves, Tigers and Angels as the three clubs from that group of nine who still need to formalize broadcast plans for this year.

The company has seemingly been hanging by a thread for a long time. Cord cutting and streaming have been eroding the regional sports network (RSN) model for years. Previously known as Diamond Sports Group and operating under the Bally Sports logo, the company was in bankruptcy for most of 2023 and 2024. When they emerged from bankruptcy late in 2024, they changed the company name and switched to the FanDuel Sports branding. More trouble emerged recently as they reportedly missed payments to several teams, which is what prompted the nine teams to walk away last month.

In recent years, MLB has handled the broadcasts of several other clubs who saw RSN deals collapse. The Padres, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Twins and Guardians were with the league in 2025. In those instances, the league largely kept TV broadcasts the same, retaining most of the personnel. For fans, this arrangement worked better as it did not involve local blackouts. Customers without cable packages could buy streaming packages directly from the league.

For teams, this expanded viewership but the financial situation wasn’t as good. Instead of a guaranteed fee from the RSN, they instead got a fungible amount of money based on streaming numbers. Clear numbers haven’t been made available but the industry consensus is that teams bring in less money via this model than they did via the previous RSN system. Travis Sawchik of MLB.com says the new model only brings in about 50% of the previous RSN set-up.

This often has on-field implications. Some of those teams, particularly the Padres and Twins, saw their player payrolls decrease in recent years. The lower spending capacity seemingly had an impact on Juan Soto being traded from the Padres to the Yankees a couple of years ago and Carlos Correa getting traded from the Twins to the Astros last summer, among other moves.

It was reported in September that ESPN would be acquiring the local rights for those five teams for the next three years. It’s unclear how that will impact local customers who have been paying the league directly to stream games. Also in September, it was reported that the Mariners would also be moving to the league. Last month, the Nationals announced that they would be moving to the MLB model.

Assuming the league will still be selling streaming packages for the five teams it was handling last year, then the league will have at least 13 teams in its portfolio in the coming season. With three clubs still outstanding, it’s possible MLB could get to more than half the league.

Commissioner Rob Manfred has previously spoken of his desire to market a streaming package like MLB.TV but without local blackouts. Controlling the rights for roughly half the league will make that more viable. Expanding the portfolio even further will be challenging. Most of the larger-market clubs still have pretty healthy RSN situations and would have less interest in jumping into a pooled system with these clubs.

That is part of a broader league strategy that will come into play in the next few years. A large number of the league’s broadcast deals expire after 2028. Manfred’s hope is to maintain as much flexibility as possible until then, at which point he could try to sell companies packages of combined rights. As an example of how this might play out, ESPN’s deal recently fell apart but then MLB pivoted to split it up and sell it to various companies. ESPN bought back some bits and acquired some new ones, while Netflix and NBC/Peacock acquired other components.

It will take a few years to see how that all plays out. In the shorter term, it could impact the upcoming collective bargaining agreement negotiations. The current CBA expires December 1st of this year. Presumably, MLB doesn’t want those talks to lead to canceled games in 2027. Ratings and attendance have been up lately, with the faster pace of the pitch clock a possible explanation. Missed games due to a lockout would hurt that momentum, which wouldn’t help the league in selling rights the following year.

For fans of the teams involved in today’s news, new information about broadcast options should be forthcoming. The Cardinals already announced their streaming prices, which are $19.99 monthly or $99.99 for the full season. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald outlined the situation for Marlins fans today, with some more details still to be determined.

This could also impact player payroll for some clubs. Though the streaming model is a less certain source of revenue, these teams now at least have some clarity on what kind of money should be coming in this year. As of less than two weeks ago, the Reds were reportedly interested in players like Eugenio Suárez but reluctant to make more moves until they figured out the broadcast puzzle. They reportedly reached an agreement with Suárez yesterday.

Photo courtesy of Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images

Players Who Could Move To The 60-Day IL Once Spring Training Begins

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Most of the clubs in the league currently have a full 40-man roster, which means that just about every transaction requires a corresponding move. Some extra roster flexibility is on the way, however. The 60-day injured list goes away five days after the World Series but comes back when pitchers and catchers report to spring training.

Most clubs have a slightly earlier report date this year due to the World Baseball Classic. Last year, the Cubs and Dodgers had earlier report dates because they were had an earlier Opening Day than everyone else as part of the Tokyo Series. Gavin Stone was the first player to land on the 60-day IL in 2025, landing there on February 11th. According to MLB.com, every club has a report date from February 10th to 13th this year.

It’s worth pointing out that the 60 days don’t start being counted until Opening Day. Although a team can transfer a player to the 60-day IL quite soon, they will likely only do so if they aren’t expecting the player back until late May or beyond. A team also must have a full 40-man roster in order to move a player to the 60-day IL.

There are still plenty of free agents still out there, including big names like Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen, Justin Verlander, Chris Bassitt, Lucas Giolito, and more. Perhaps the extra roster flexibility will spur some deals to come together. It could also increase the ability of some clubs to make waiver claims or small trades for players who have been designated for assignment. If a team wants to pass a player through waivers, perhaps they will try to do so in the near future before the extra roster flexibility opens up.

Here are some players who are expected to miss some significant time or who have uncertain recovery timelines from 2025 injuries.

Angels: Anthony Rendon, Ben Joyce

Rendon’s situation is unique. He underwent hip surgery a year ago and missed the entire 2025 season. He is still on the roster and signed through 2026. He and the club have agreed to a salary-deferment plan and he is not expected to be in spring training with the club. His recovery timeline is unclear, but general manager Perry Minasian said earlier this month that Rendon would be “rehabbing at home,” per Alden González of ESPN. If they were going to release him, they likely would have done so by now, so he seems destined for the injured list.

Joyce underwent shoulder surgery in May and missed the remainder of the 2025 season. His current status is unclear. In August, he told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register that he didn’t know if he would be ready for spring training. He would only land on the 60-day IL if the Halos don’t expect him back before the end of May.

Astros: Hayden Wesneski, Ronel Blanco, Brandon Walter

All three of these pitchers underwent Tommy John surgery in 2025. Wesneski was first, with his surgery taking place on May 23rd. Blanco followed shortly thereafter in early June. They will likely be targeting returns in the second half. Walter’s procedure was in September, meaning he will likely miss the entire season. All three should be on the 60-day IL as soon as Houston needs roster spots for other transactions.

Athletics: Zack Gelof

Gelof underwent surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder in September, with the expectation of him potentially being healthy for spring training. At the end of December, general manager David Forst told Martín Gallegos of MLB.com that Gelof would be “a little bit behind” in spring. He would only land on the 60-day IL if the A’s think he’ll be out through late May.

Blue Jays: Jake Bloss

Bloss underwent surgery on the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow in May. He was on optional assignment at the time and stayed in the minors for the rest of the season. Going into 2026, the Jays could keep him in the minors but they could also call him up and place him on the major league IL. Doing so would open up a roster spot but would also mean giving Bloss big league pay and service time.

Braves: Ha-Seong Kim, AJ Smith-Shawver, Danny Young, Joe Jiménez

Kim recently fell on some ice and injured his hand. He underwent surgery last week, and the expected recovery time is four to five months. The shorter end of that window only goes to mid-May, so perhaps Atlanta will hold off on making a decision until they watch his recovery, especially since they have other guys with clearer injury timelines.

Smith-Shawver underwent Tommy John surgery in June, so he shouldn’t be back until the second half and is therefore a lock for the 60-day IL once Atlanta needs a spot. Young underwent the same procedure in May, so he should also be bound for the IL.

Jimenez is more of a question mark. He missed the 2025 season due to left knee surgery. He required a “cleanup” procedure on that knee towards the end of the season. His timeline isn’t currently clear.

Brewers: None.

Cardinals: None.

Cubs: Justin Steele

Steele will probably be a bit of a borderline case. He underwent UCL surgery in April but it wasn’t a full Tommy John surgery. The Cubs described it as a “revision repair”. Steele had undergone Tommy John in 2017 as a minor leaguer.

Since Steele’s more recent procedure was a bit less serious than a full Tommy John, the club gave an estimated return timeline of about one year, putting him in line to potentially return fairly early in 2026. Given his importance to the Cubs, they would only put him on the 60-day IL if his timeline changes and he’s certain to be out through late May.

Diamondbacks: Corbin Burnes, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., A.J. Puk, Justin Martínez, Blake Walston, Tyler Locklear

The Snakes were hit hard by the injury bug in 2025. Burnes, Walston and Martínez all underwent Tommy John surgery. Burnes and Martínez had their procedures in June, so they should be targeting second-half returns and be easy calls for the 60-day IL. Walston would be a bit more borderline because his surgery was around Opening Day in late March last year. Puk had the slightly less significant internal brace procedure in June, so he could also be a borderline case.

Turning to the position players, Gurriel tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in September. He required surgery which came with a return timeline of nine to ten months, so he should be out until around the All-Star break.

Locklear should be back sooner. He underwent surgery in October to address a ligament tear in his elbow and a labrum injury in his shoulder. The hope at the time of that procedure was that he would be game ready to go on a rehab assignment around Opening Day and would therefore miss only about the first month. He would therefore only hit the 60-day IL if he doesn’t meet that timeline for some reason.

Dodgers: Brock Stewart

Stewart underwent shoulder debridement surgery in September. His timeline for 2026 isn’t especially clear. He will likely start the season on the IL but it’s unclear if he’ll be out long enough to warrant landing on the 60-day version.

Giants: Randy Rodríguez, Jason Foley

Rodríguez underwent Tommy John surgery in September, so he’s a lock for the 60-day IL and might even miss the entire 2026 campaign. Foley’s status is a bit more murky. He underwent shoulder surgery in May while with the Tigers. Detroit non-tendered him at season’s end, which allowed the Giants to sign him. He is expected back at some point mid-season. The Giants may want to get more clarity on his progress during camp before deciding on a move to the IL.

Guardians: Andrew Walters, David Fry

Neither of these guys is a lock for the 60-day IL. Walters had surgery to repair his right lat tendon in June with a recovery estimate of eight to ten months. Fry underwent surgery in October due to a deviated septum and a fractured nose suffered when a Tarik Skubal pitch hit him in the face. His timeline is unclear. It’s possible one or both could be healthy by Opening Day, so relevant updates may be forthcoming when camps open.

Mariners: Logan Evans

Evans required UCL surgery just last week and will miss the entire 2026 season. He was on optional assignment at the end of 2025, so the Mariners could keep him in the minors. Calling him up and putting him on the big league 60-day IL would open up a 40-man spot but would also involve Evans receiving big league pay and service time for the year.

Marlins: Ronny Henriquez

Henriquez underwent internal brace surgery in December and will miss the entire 2026 season, so he’s a lock for the 60-day IL.

Mets: Tylor Megill, Reed Garrett, Dedniel Núñez

All three of these pitchers underwent Tommy John surgery late in 2025 and are likely to miss the entire 2026 season, making them locks for the 60-day IL. Núñez went under the knife in July, followed by Megill in September and Garrett in October.

Nationals: Trevor Williams, DJ Herz

Williams underwent internal brace surgery in July. That’s a slightly less serious variation of Tommy John but still usually requires about a year of recovery. Herz underwent a full Tommy John procedure in April. Since that surgery usually requires 14 months or longer to come back, both pitchers are likely out until around the All-Star break and therefore bound for the 60-day IL once the Nats need some roster spots.

Orioles: Félix Bautista

Bautista underwent shoulder surgery in August, and the club announced his recovery timeline as 12 months. He’s a lock for the 60-day IL and may miss the entire season if his recovery doesn’t go smoothly.

Padres: Yu Darvish, Jhony Brito, Jason Adam

Darvish underwent UCL surgery in November and will miss the entire 2026 season. Instead of going on the IL, he may just retire, but it seems there are some contractual complications to be ironed out since he is signed through 2028.

Brito and Adam could be borderline cases. Brito underwent internal brace surgery in May of last year. Some pitchers can return from that procedure in about a year. Adam ruptured a tendon in his left quad in early September. In November, he seemed to acknowledge that he wouldn’t be ready for Opening Day. As of now, a trip to the 60-day IL seems unlikely unless he suffers a setback.

Pirates: Jared Jones

Jones required UCL surgery on May 21st of last year. The Bucs announced an expected return timeline of 10 to 12 months. The shorter end of that window would allow Jones to return fairly early in 2026. If it looks like he’ll be on the longer end of that time frame, he could wind up on the 60-day IL.

Phillies: Zack Wheeler

Wheeler underwent surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome in September, with a timeline of six to eight months. As of now, it seems unlikely Wheeler would require a trip to the 60-day IL, but it depends on how his ramp-up goes. He’s also approaching his 36th birthday, and the Phils could slow-play his recovery.

Rangers: Cody Bradford

Bradford required internal brace surgery in late June of last year. He recently said he’s targeting a return in May. That’s a pretty aggressive timeline, but perhaps the Rangers will delay moving him to the 60-day IL until that plan is strictly ruled out.

Rays: Manuel Rodríguez

Rodriguez underwent flexor tendon surgery in July of last year and is targeting a return in June of this year, so he should be a lock for the 60-day IL.

Reds: Brandon Williamson, Julian Aguiar

Both of these pitchers required Tommy John surgeries late in 2024, Williamson in September and Aguiar in October. They each missed the entire 2025 season. Presumably, they are recovered by now and could be healthy going into 2026, but there haven’t been any recent public updates.

Red Sox: Tanner Houck, Triston Casas

Houck is the most clear-cut case for Boston. He had Tommy John surgery in August of 2025 and will miss most or perhaps all of the 2026 season. Casas is more borderline. He’s still recovering from a ruptured left patellar tendon suffered in May of last year. It doesn’t seem like he will be ready by Opening Day, but his timeline apart from that is murky.

Rockies: Jeff Criswell, Kris Bryant

Criswell required Tommy John surgery in early March of last year. With the normal 14-month recovery timeline, he could be back in May. Anything slightly longer than that would make him a candidate for the 60-day IL. Bryant’s timeline is very difficult to discern. He has hardly played in recent years due to various injuries and is now dealing with chronic symptoms related to lumbar degenerative disc disease. Updates will likely be provided once camp opens.

Royals: Alec Marsh

Marsh missed 2025 due to shoulder problems and is slated to miss 2026 as well after undergoing labrum surgery in November.

Tigers: Jackson Jobe

Jobe required Tommy John surgery in June of last year. He will miss most or perhaps even all of the 2026 season.

Twins: None.

White Sox: Ky Bush, Drew Thorpe, Prelander Berroa

These three hurlers all required Tommy John surgery about a year ago, Bush in February, followed by Berroa and Thorpe in March. Given the normal 14-month recovery period, any of them could return early in 2026, but they could also end up on the 60-day IL if the timeline pushes slightly beyond that.

Yankees: Clarke Schmidt, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Anthony Volpe

Schmidt is the only lock of this group. He required UCL surgery in July of last year and should miss the first half of the 2026 season. Cole is recovering from Tommy John surgery performed in March of last year. His target is expected to be late May/early June, so he has a decent chance to hit the 60-day. However, given his importance to the club, the Yankees probably won’t put him there until it’s certain he won’t be back by the middle of May.

Rodón had surgery in October to remove loose bodies in his elbow. He’s expected to be back with the big league club in late April or early May, so he would only hit the 60-day IL if his timeline is pushed. Volpe required shoulder surgery in October. He’s not expected to be ready by Opening Day, but his timeline beyond that doesn’t seem concrete.

Photo courtesy of Allan Henry, Imagn Images

Angels Designate Cody Laweryson For Assignment

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The Angels announced Monday that they’ve designated right-hander Cody Laweryson for assignment. His spot on the 40-man roster goes to infielder Yoan Moncada, whose previously reported one-year deal to return to the Halos is now official.

Laweryson was a November waiver claim out of the Twins organization. The 27-year-old (28 in May) made his big league debut this past season when he tossed 7 2/3 innings and held opponents to just one run. The 2019 14th-round pick set down seven of the 26 opponents he faced on strikes (26.9%) and didn’t issue a walk. Laweryson’s fastball sits at an average of 93.2 mph, and he rounds out his repertoire with a cutter and changeup.

That ascension to the majors capped off a strong overall year for the 6’4″ righty. Laweryson split the bulk of the season between Double-A and Triple-A, where he combined for 44 innings of 2.86 ERA ball. He posted better-than-average marks in strikeout rate (24.6%), walk rate (7.7%) and grounder rate (46.3%) in the minors.

Since Laweryson was only selected to the 40-man roster for the first time this past season, he has a full slate of three minor league option years remaining. He can be controlled for at least six full seasons. All of that could make him appealing to clubs looking for some flexible bullpen depth, though it bears mentioning that 2025 was a rebound campaign. Laweryson was tagged for a 4.80 ERA in 50 2/3 innings of Triple-A ball in 2023 and hit even harder (6.52 ERA) in 33 innings of Double-A relief in 2024.

The Angels can trade Laweryson or place him on waivers at any point in the next five days. If they go the waiver route, that’ll be another 48-hour process. His DFA will be resolved in a maximum of one week.

Angels Outright Wade Meckler

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The Angels announced Monday that outfielder Wade Meckler, who’d been designated for assignment last week, went unclaimed on outright waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A Salt Lake. He has neither the three years of MLB service time nor the prior outright needed to elect free agency, so Meckler remain with the club as non-roster depth and presumably be invited to major league camp later this month.

Meckler, 26 in April, was a January waiver claim out of the Giants organization. He has just 20 big league games under his belt, all coming in 2023, when he hit .232/.328/.250 in 64 plate appearances. That cup of coffee came barely a year after he’d been taken in the eighth round of the 2022 draft, so some struggles at the plate weren’t exactly a surprise.

Since that brief 2023 audition, Meckler has spent the bulk of his time in Triple-A, where he’s a .296/.392/.429 hitter in 699 turns at the plate. He’s hit only 11 home runs but is a plus runner with high contact rates and a good eye at the plate. He’s fanned in only 16.7% of his plate appearances in Triple-A — a mark that’s well below the league average and not much higher than his gaudy 13.5% walk rate.

Meckler has played all three outfield spots, and the Giants gave him eight minor league games at second base this past season. He’ll stick with the Halos as a versatile bit of outfield depth. The Angels still don’t have a true center fielder. Jo Adell played there extensively last year but graded very poorly. Jorge Soler is sub-par even in a corner and isn’t an option in center. Trade acquisition Josh Lowe could get some run in center but has been below-average there in the past. The Angels might even try Mike Trout back in center at times this year, but his injury history and defensive decline are well known. Meckler could eventually resurface as an option to bring some speed and a truer center field presence to the roster.

Angels Sign Jose Siri To Minors Deal

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The Angels have signed outfielder Jose Siri to a minor league contract, The Athletic’s Will Sammon reports.  Siri will be invited to the Halos’ big league spring camp, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, and he’ll earn $1.6MM if he makes Los Angeles’ 26-man roster.  Siri has opt-out dates at the end of Spring Training and on June 1 if the Angels haven’t already selected his contract, as per Ari Alexander of 7 News.

The Mets designed Siri for assignment in late September and then outrighted him off their 40-man roster, and Siri opted for minor league free agency following the season.  He’ll now head to Anaheim in search of a rebound following a disastrous and injury-plagued year in New York.

Siri fouled a ball off his left leg in April, fracturing his left tibia and keeping him out of any Major League action until September 9.  Initially projected to miss 8-10 weeks in recovery, Siri’s leg soreness lingered to the point that he played in only 16 games in a Mets uniform (and had just a .292 OPS over 36 plate appearances).  It was a brutal turn of events for a player who was acquired in a trade from the Rays in November 2024 with the idea that Siri could bolster the Mets’ center field position at least from a defensive standpoint.

Public defensive metrics loved Siri’s glovework in center field from 2022-24, when Siri played for the Astros and Rays.  He also has excellent speed (which has translated to 45 career steals in 58 attempts), though it remains to be seen how the broken leg may impact Siri’s speed going forward.  Siri was a good source of power in hitting 43 homers over the 2023-24 seasons, but his overall production at the plate was limited by a lack of walks and a preponderance of strikeouts.  Over 1222 PA at the MLB level, Siri has struck out 442 times, while hitting .206/.263/.400.

Whatever Siri can provide on offense might be a bonus for the Angels, who are surely looking at Siri as a glove-first option within an outfield that has lot of defensive question marks.  Jo Adell projects as Los Angeles’ regular center fielder even though he posted -13 Defensive Runs Saved and -8 Outs Above Average up the middle in 2025.  Josh Lowe (acquired in a trade from Tampa) has respectable defensive metrics over the small sample of 156 career innings as a center fielder, but is better suited for a corner outfield slot.  Jorge Soler and Mike Trout will split time between left field and DH, with the defensively-challenged Soler somewhat forced into the field due to the Angels’ need to keep Trout healthy with plenty of DH work.

Bryce Teodosio is the Angels’ current fourth outfielder, and while Teodosio is a strong defender, he also has only 55 MLB games on his resume.  Kyren Paris and Matthew Lugo also doesn’t have much big league experience and Paris is more of a middle infielder anyway, so the Siri signing gives the Halos a veteran depth option to compete for a bench job in Spring Training.

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